Forever and Always
by itsmiranda
Summary: As Hermione sits at home she receives an owl from St. Mungos alerting her that Draco is in the hospital. One-shot.


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. All of rights go to J.K Rowling and Parachute (for the song lyrics). I own my laptop, tablet and this lovely bed I'm laying in.

**A/N:** This is under Tragedy, so what you think that means - I'm leaving up to you. Before or while you read you should listen to the song that inspired this: Forever And Always by Parachute. But it spoiled the ending so, it's again, up to you. Happy reading!

* * *

It was late Friday night when Hermione arrived home. Knowing that Draco wouldn't be home until late, she figured she would make supper. It wasn't something that happened everyday - her cooking. That was more Dracos area of expertise. Before heading to the kitchen she quickly changed into something a little more comfortable. After having a long and stressful day, it wasn't hard to tell that she just needed to lay down in relax. But never the less, she made her way to the kitchen and began to prepare Dracos favorite meal, hoping he had enjoyed his day more than she had.

It wasn't something new, her and Draco. They had become an item quite a few years before he had pulled up the courage to propose to her last December.

* * *

It all started three years after the war when she ran into him while strolling through Diagon Alley, literally. It had been a particularly hot afternoon and she was making her way to The Three Broomsticks to get a nice cold butterbeer when she ran into a solid chest and feel to the ground. After helping her off the ground she asked him if he cared to join her for a butterbeer, and to her surprise, he accepted.

And so began their friendship. It came as a surprise to many, and was accepted by few. Harry and Ronald didn't speak to her for months before finally accepting that Malfoy was now a part of her life and wasn't leaving anytime soon. The Weasleys invited him to the family dinners after a year of her and Draco being friends. And after a few invitations and declines, he decided to give it a shot and go because Hermione wanted him too. It hadn't been as bad as he thought, and ended up attending them with Hermione whenever he could. Of course, every few dinners or so they would be asked the obvious question - Were they a couple yet? Dating wasn't ever something they thought of, or even talked about. Neither had expressed their feelings for one another and the Weasleys were getting anxious.

As another years passed and their third of year of friendship approached, they began to drift apart, neither of them wanting the other to know of their feelings and thinking it was for the best. Of course, it wasn't. But they didn't realize that until one night after attending Harry's quidditch match. Ginny had become fed up with them not talking to each other and blurted out that Hermione had feelings for Draco as she sat between the two. Hermione couldn't remove the blush that seemed permanent on her face and Draco couldn't stop from staring at Ginny with a look of astonishment. One thing led to another and Hermione was running out of the stadium to the apparition point when Draco had stopped her, turned her around and told her he felt the same way. After wiping her face of tears and making sure she was find, he finally kissed her first the first time and definitely not the last.

Though they fought constantly, everyone could tell that she and Draco were in love. It showed from the glances they snuck at each other and the small small kisses they shared out in public. The press loved them, that was for sure. They were the front of the Daily Prophet for months before the hype finally died down and they could go out in public while acting like a normal 24 year old couple.

And so brings us to December of last year. Five years later, now both 29, they sat at their favorite restaurant while Hermione made small talk with Draco as he fiddled with the ring in his pocket. After having carried it around for months, he planned to finally propose that night. The nerves were eating him alive and it was obvious that something was on his mind. But if Hermione was curious, she didn't show it, nor did she ask any questions. The night proceeded as usual as they ordered their food, ate while small talk and discussions was shared between the two. It finally hit Draco that he had yet to propose when their desert came and he was still fiddling with the ring in his pocket. Gathering up all the courage inside of him and stepping out if his seat, he kneeled down beside Hermione. As any girl would, she began to freak out. He just about laughed while be pulled out the ring and told her this:

_"I want you forever, forever and always_

_Through the good and the bad and the ugly_

_We'll grow old together_

_Forever and always"_

Her answered was an obvious yes and he couldn't have been happier. The news wasn't a big shock to everyone else. They had been expecting it for quite a while and Ginny and Molly as well as his mother had helped him pick out the perfect ring for Hermione. It seems he made a good choice as she couldn't keep her eyes off it and her smile seems to be permanent, or at least was for the time being.

* * *

Two hours later, Hermione was still sitting on the window sill by the front door as she waited for signs of Draco apparating home. There were days that he used floo, but most of the time it was apparation as the floo closed early.

Wondering if something was wrong, she scanned the perimeter again - but saw nothing still. Sighing, she was about to head to bed, thinking he had just gotten held up later than he thought, when an owl interrupted her thoughts. It wasn't Dracos, she knew that. And it wasn't any of the Potters or Weasleys. Cautiously opening she saw it had a small piece of parchment and wondered if Draco had used a ministry owl. Clearing her head of possible things, she took the parchment and then reached over to the fireplace to grab an owl treat but when she looked back - it was gone.

Since it had obviously not waited for her reply, the person had probably said he or she didn't need one. She slowly unrolled the parchment and read the carefully written sentences.

_Come now. Something has happened to Draco._

_-Blaise Z._

It took her less than three minutes to dash to their room, change into a pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt, and an old sweater of Dracos before flooing to St. Mungos.

It wasn't the first time she was dashing to the hospital because of Draco. He had always hurt himself in quidditch matches with his friends or if George was testing new items and Draco had volunteered. She knew she shouldn't worry, but as she walked to the front desk and they told her to go to the Critical Unit, she couldn't he herself. Dashing off in that direction, she saw Blaise and ran right to him.

"Is he okay? What happened? What are the injuries? Is anyone else hurt?" The questions shot out of the mouth and she heard Blaise give a little chuckle before leading her over to the chairs.

The perks of Draco having Blaise as a best friend is that he works at the hospital and will inform Hermione if all the information whenever they end up there.

"He's... Not doing so well," Blaise told her, his face dropping as he said it.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

Blaise began to explain, but her focus went else where when he said three words: he was poisoned.

How? Hermione wasn't sure. But was answered when he continued on his short but to the point explanation.

"It was at lunch. He was going to get what he always does: chicken soup, bread roll and a butterbeer. But apparently someone had miscalculated the ingredients and messed up the soup, causing it become some sort of toxic. Draco at the time, didn't know that. It taste the same and he ate the whole thing. But when it reached supper time he began to feel sick and it went down from there. He began to puke and was soon stuck in the bathroom stall, not leaving it for hours at times. It wasn't until one of his friends from work came and found him that he was brought here. By then the toxic had traveled through his body and was infection more and more places as the time passed."

As Blaise continued on, Hermione tried to keep a straight face when he told her she could go in. It took all she had to not run on the room with tears streaming down her cheeks. But she did it. She walked slowly over to his bed and took his hand in hers.

"Hey," she said with a small smile plastered on her face.

"Hi, love," was his weak response.

"How are you feeling? Sorry I couldn't come faster, Blaise just owled me and it took for-bloody-ever."

"I'm great," sarcasm dripped from his voice, "toxic is so much fun, isn't it?" A little laugh escaped him, but she could tell it was forced.

Draco had wires and cords attached to him all over as well as quite a few magical spells placed over him to keep his body working to fight the toxic. His face was paler than usual and his voice was rough, obviously taking a lot of effort to talk.

The conversations flowed through them effortlessly as they talked about when he would be out of the hospital. Kids came across in the conversation at one point and they fought about how many kids they wanted and if it would be a girl or a boy. Draco, obviously, wanted a boy. Hermione, a girl. The names they would give them and where they would attend school. Both of them having graduated Hogwarts, decided there would be best. The conversation slowly carried on as they discussed what houses the kids would be in and what they would look like.

They almost didn't notice the topic change when they began to talk about the house in the hillside that they dreamed about but never acted on. They were fine in their little twist bedroom condo, but that would need to change if they had kids.

"We'll buy it as soon as they let me out of this shit hole and then start working on those little Malfoys, sound good?" Draco added with a wink, causing her to burst out laughing. He never could take anything seriously.

"I love you," she whispered against his knuckles as she kissed them lightly.

"I love you too, beautiful," he said, reminding Hermione of the man she loved and would always love.

As they sat in silence for a few moments, she thought of what would happen if he didn't make it out alive and what her life would be like. Almost nonexistent it seemed. She wouldn't have anyone to come home too and bicker with out of love. No one to comment about how stupid muggle movies were and no one to judge her on her love of house elves and what she had against hiring them. The list went on and on. She wondered what her life was before she met him. How she survive during those few years after the war thinking she was in love with Ron when all she really needed was Draco.

She got an idea and called in the nurses, telling them to get the hospital chaplain. Draco gave her an odd look, not catching on with what she was doing.

But as the chaplain appeared it seemed to be more obvious as his mouth fell open in an 'o' shape before smiling and giving her hand a tight squeeze that most likely hurt him more than her.

As they listened to the man as he said what was needed for them to be married, she sat down on the bed next to him as he made a little room for her and wrapped his arm around her small waist, pulling her close. It wasn't the wedding they hoped for. But as long as the both were there, willing to be wed, it was good enough for the both of them.

Borrowing rings from the couple next door, everyone was laughing and smiling as they put the rings on each others fingers, saying the vows that had written out so many times before. Simple, but fitting them and their love perfectly. The words used so many times between them they didn't need to think as they said them. And so when it came time for the vows, Hermione had tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked him in the eyes and she said;

_"I want you forever, forever and always_

_Through the good and the bad and the ugly_

_We'll grow old together, and always remember_

_Whether happy or sad or whatever_

_We'll still love each other, forever and always."_

The simple but most meaningful words passed her lips slowly as the people in the room watched as the young couple looked at each other with eyes full of love and hopes of having a future. But the ending of their fairy tale was ending as quick as it had started and everyone knew. The couple in front of them would no longer be two. But one in just a few moments as he whispered his last words through his lips, voice hoarse and full of pain. He was willing to endure that for her if it meant he would be able to marry his princess. The beep on the machines were getting slower and slower. His voice was almost too low as he finally whispered his last words;

_"I love you forever, forever and always_

_Please just remember even if I'm not there_

_I'll always love you, forever and always"_

The beeps on the machine slowed down as tears spilled down her cheeks once again. He sighed as he reached over, wiping them off her face before pressing one last kiss to her lips. He pulled her close as the beeps on the machine slowed down to fewer and fewer. His breathing became slower and slower as she hugged him to her, willing him to stay alive. To stay with her. Have the house on the hillside that had little Malfoys running through and around it, creating havoc wherever they went.

But when the beeping stopped and his breathing halted, she sobbed into his chest, as if she could hug him back to life. It wasn't working. Commotion started as they called out the time of death and pealed he off his chest in order to run the tests they needed too. Walking out of the room into the arms of Blaise, she didn't know what was to come. All she knew at that moment was that she wanted to cry. And that's what she did.

* * *

**A/N:** It's a short, but hopefully alright fic. I don't particularly like the way it ended. But it did and I suppose that's what I get for writing it all in one sitting on the plane. I'd love feedback on if you liked the ending or not. Also, I hope you (those who read it) all listened to the song. It makes me cry but I listen to it everyday. Before I continue this rambling forever, ill finish with saying thank you for reading and for choosing to read this fic out of out many others. Have a great (if you haven't started school) summer!


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